Sweeper.



J. F. STEVENS.

SWEEPER. APPLICATION FILED APB..24,190"I.

Patented May 4, 1909.

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ssxgwb OF/ 6 m J. P. STEVENS.

SWEEPER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24,1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET .2.

Patented May 4, 1909.

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[HE/255555. *V wM PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. STEVENS, OF PORT CHESTER, NEW YORK.

SWEEPER.

and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sweepers, 'of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in sweepers for streets, floors .or carpets, and

. the -main objects of my improvement are I el'liciency and convenience in operation.

I signed for street sweeping.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1' is a broken out plan view of my machine, in

that form which is more particularly de- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of a portion of the same, on the line a: a: of Fig. 1. Fig. i is a sectional view of the same on the line y y of Fig. 1, and with the handle of the sweeper raised suflic'iently to bring the scraper into action. Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation, showing a form of gearing that may be used as a substitute for the friction gearing shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a plan view on a reduced scale, of a portion of my sweeper in that form which is'more particularly designed for sweeping floors and carpets. Fig. 7- is a sectional side elevation of the same. I

boxJ-and projects laterally The box Aconstitutes the frame of the machine and may-be of any desired or ordinary construction.

It is formed of two sides 12, top 13 and bottom 14, and may be pro vided with cross rods 8 for giving the box On each side near fixed .post or stud 9 whichdriving wheels 10. As shown, each of these studs is formed upon one end of a bent rod 11, the body of which is on the inside of the box, while the forward end forms the stud Q'tlaat extends through the side 12 of the therefrom on the outside to receive the driving wheel '10 and other parts hereinafter described. The rear end 15 of the rod 11 is screw threaded and in llke manner is extended through the side or the box, where it is secured by a nut 16 on the outside. I prefer to make a small portion of the front end of each of the sides 12 of a circular farm 17, adjacent to the studs 9 and concentric therewith, so as to leave an open space at the front for the axle or shaft 18 of the brush 19 {to pass through Patented May 4, 1909.

to the driving wheels 10 and. for the said shaft to rise and fall as hereinafter de-' scribed. The drivin wheels, as shown areprovided with inwart ly projecting rims 20 to form an internal gear face for a friction gear, and the op osite ends of the brush shaft 18 are provlded with friction pinions or rollers 22 that engage the said internal gear and are driven thereby. A spring 21 is applied to the brush at each end, one end of the said spring being connected with the brush shaft and the other end to afixed support, as for example, to the inner end of the studs 9 that support the driving wheels. The said springs are under, tension with a tendency to press the friction gears together, that is, to press the friction pinion or roller 22 against the inner face of the rims 20 of the driving wheels, whereby the said wheels as they rotate, drive the brush and make it rotate faster than the driving wheels and in the same direction;

Iprefer to employ gathering brushes 23 that project obliquely from each front corner to catch the dirt and sweep it inwardly into the path ofthe main brush or rotary brush, so as to be caught thereby. These brushes are rigidly moun-ted'on the swingiing arms 24, which arms are .pivoted on the studs 9 outside of the driving wheels 10. The brushes 23, are also provided with a secondary arm 25, preferably formed of wire doubled upon itself and hooked or pivoted to the studs 9 inside of the sides 12 of the box, and consequently between the inner-"faces of the driving wheels at a point near the ends of the brush shaft 18. lhe two members of the wire arm 25 extend above and below the shaft 18 as shown in Fig. 3, whereby an up and down movement of the brush shaft andbrush, necessitates an upand down .movement of the gathering brushes 23.

If desired, a brace 2 9'ma-y be secured by its opposite ends to: the outer ends of the brushes 23, to assist in preventing them from spreading. The'handle 26 for operating the sweeper is secured totwo braces 27 which in turn are secured to the box A at their body ortion by the rear ends 15 of the bent re s 11' and the nuts 16, while their forward, ends are secured to or pivoted upon the outer ends of the studs 9 outside of the driving wheels 10=1as shown, whereby the box A is pivoted on the same axisas the driving wheels and the rear end of the box swings up and down on thesaid axis as the handle 27 is raised and lowered by the operator. 18 and 23. to be lifted to bring them out of action by the downward movement of the handle, if desired when the machine is moving forwardly, or to make theinact lightly, I provide the rear ends of the swinging arms 24 with stops 28 for engaging the lower edges of the braces when the handle is lowered.

These stops 28 in beyond a certain point. Y this connection, constitute means for tlltlng the arms 24 and brushes 18 and'23 upwardly by a downward movement of the handle,

after the said handle has been lowered to a certain point. These stops are out of action when the handle is raised to the position shown in Fig. 2. are spots that require scraping as well as sweeping, and therefore I provide the swinging box A of the sweeper with a'soraper 30 that projects forwardly and downwardly between the brushes 23. This scraper can be of any suitable construction and secured in the position described in any ordinary manner. As shown, the scraper is formed of wire bent into proper shape with its middle portion '30 forming the active or street contacting part of the scraper, while the rear portion of the scraper-is rigidly secured to the box by the bent ends 31 driven into the sides 12, and staples or other fastenings 32 a little forward of the said ends.

The gearing between the driving wheels 10 and the rotary brush 19, for imparting a rotary movement to the brush through the rotary movement of the said driving wheels, may be either a friction gearing or 'a toothed gearing, as may be desired.

For heavy work like street sweeping the toothed gearing may be the best while the friction gearing is well adapted for light sweeping, as in a street sweeper of small size or in ahouse sweeper. The geariiig shown in Figs. 1 and 3 is one form of friction gearing and may be of any suitable material.

-In Fig. 5 I have "shownone form of toothed gearing in which the driving wheels l0 are provided with teeth on the inner face of their riin 20*, while the pinion 22 is provided with teeth on its periphery to engage the said toothed rim, the other parts being" the same as herein before described.

In order to permit the brushes 'wardly into the box.

In street sweeping'there wardly over the surface being operated upon faster than the machine moves over the said surface and hence the dirt is swept backof driving gear-,1 am enabled to place the By this arrangement rotary brush at the extreme forward end of i the box and at the same time to make it.

throw the dirt rearwardly as the machine is pushed ahead;

IThe gatheringbrushes extend obliquely outward from' the opposite front corners and brush or sweep the dirt for the extreme widthof the path of the machine inwardly in front of the main brush. This they will do independently of the fact that the main brush is a rotating one. ,When the machine I is pulled or drawn rearwardly, the motion of thewlriving wheels and rotary brush are reversed, but inasmuch as the said rotary brush has In) fixed bearings and the gearing is still engaged, the pinions of the gearing ride upwardly on' the inner sides of the runs 20 and carry'the rotary brush upwardly with them so as. to raise its periphery oif from the surface'and consequently the backwar-d rotation of the said 'rotating'brush does not sweep or throwany dirt from the ,front of the machine duringits backward run. If thegathering brushes 23 are mount ed as hereinbefore described, they also \rise sons to clear the surface with the risingbf;

. the shaft 18 of the rotary brush 19, as shown .bythe broken contour lines in Fig. 3. "When 1 the operator raises the handle 26 so little, (01' lowers it so much), that the stops 28- ome into engagement'with'the lower edges ofdhe braces 27 the brushes may be wholly lifted from the surface during the forward movement of the machine, or by a suitable "elevation of the handle, the brushes may bear with a greater or less pressure as theoperator may desire. Thehandle may be so elevated that the brushes 23 and 19'bear with all the'forceof the driving gear, while the scraper 30 is out of action and by raising the handle, higher the scraper 30 may be forced down upon the surface to scrape and loosen the-dirt whereit is stuck down, andafter. it'is thus loosened the rotating brush will sweep, it' back into the bozo.

The-construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 1s more particularly designed for houseusea The box A is provided with simple rollers or'wheels 33 mounted on studs 34 for the rear' end of the box to ride upon, while near the front end the driving wheels l0 are.

arranged on fixed studs 9 the said wheels having the driving rims 20. as before described. The rotary brush 19 has the samepi nions 22 at each end and a spring 21 isapplied, substantially as before described to keep the pinion and rim in driving engage-- ment with eaeh other. In order to prevent the rotary brush l9 from moving too far downwardly and bearing too hard on the surface being swept, I provide the stop 28 on the side of the box to limit the downward movement of the spring 21 and rotatingbrush' as the said spring swings up and 'are rigidly mounted on braces 35 that are in turn mounted on the studs 9 and '34.

Any suitable handle may bev provided and pivoted tothe box A in any proper manner to swing up and down without carrying the box with it. I have only shown a portion of this sweeper with the proper wheels and gathering brush at one side thereof, the other side being substantially a duplicate of the side shown. The arms ofthe handle fork or bail by which to pivot the handle to the box may beconnected with-the studs of either pair of wheels as the one arm 36 of such a fork or bail is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 as pivoted to one of the studs 34 for the wheels 33. The operation of the driving wheels and rotary brush is the same as that -of those before described, and the action of the gathering brushes is the same excepting that they do not rise and ,fall, but bear on the surface being swept when the machine moves either way. i

In all the forms 'shown the connecting gearing of the driving wheels and rotary brush when the said brush is free from journal hearings on the frame, perform the function of forcing the rotary brush downwardly during the forward movement of the sweepcrand upwardly during the rearward movement. Means of some kind must be employed for holding the connecting gearing in operative engagement. When hol- 'low driving wheels are used and a spring employed to force the driven member of the gearing toward the rim of the hollow driving wheel, the said rim of the driving wheel and the said spring together constitute means for holding the connecting gearing in operative engagement. In this connection, and in connection with the toothed gearing shown in Fig. 5, l wish to call attention to Fig. and to the fact that the open space at the front of each of the sides of the frame for the shaft 18 of the rotarybrush 19 to rise and fall within, is boundedon the side opposite the rim of the d =.'iviiig wheels by a small portion that is of a circular form l7, adjacent to the driving wheels and concentric therewith.

'If is apparent that. .omc changes from the specific construction herem disclosed may be made and therefore I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to theprecise form' .of construction shown and described, but desire the liberty tomake such changes, in working my IHVPHUOII, as may fairly come within the spirit and scope of the-same.

I claim as my ii'ivent1'on:-

l. A. sweeper comprising a frame with driving wheels mounted thereon, a rotary brush having a movable axis in front of the axis of the said driving wheels. connecting gearing carried by the said brush and wheels, and means for holding the said connecting gearing in operative engagement, the said brush and that member of the connecting gearing which belongs to the said brush being free from journal bearings on the said frame whereby they are free to move up and down for having the driving wheels and gearing force the rotating brush downwardly during .the forward movement of the sweeper: and upwardly during its rearward movement.

2. A sweeper comprising a frame with driving wheels mounted thereon, a rotary brush mounted on a shaftand movably carried by the said frame in front of the axis of the said driving wheels, connecting gearing carried by the said driving wheels and brush for rotating the said brush in a direc'- tion to carry the lower side of the said brush backward when the machine is rolled for,- ward, and springs acting on the said shaft of the brush for holding the gearing that is carried by the brush in engagement with thegcaring that is carried by the driving wheels.

3. A sweeper, comprising a frame with driving wheels mounted on a fixed axis on the said frame, a rotary ,brush having a movable axis in front of tthe axis of the said driving wheels, connecting gearing carried by the said driving wheels and brush, means for holding the said connecting gearing in operativeengagement, the said brush and that member of the connecting gearing that belongs to the said brush being free,

from journal hearings on the said frame and free to move up and down for having the driving wheels and gearing force/ the mtating brush down 'ardly during the forward movement of the sweeper and upwardly during its rearward movement, and

of the said frame, and swinging arms connecting the said brushes, the said arms being pivotally mounted on the frame -to swingwitlr the said brushes.

5.. A sweeper, comprising a frame with driving. 'whee1s mounted thereon, a rotary brush movably carried by the said frame, connecting gearing between the said driving .1 heels and brush, gathering brushes at the forward corners of the said frame,

swinging arms connecting); the said brushes and mounted to swing,- with the said brushes on the said frame for the simultaneous up and downmovement of the said rms and brushes, and a handle fixed to the said frame for tilting the frame on the axis of,

Wheels and brush, gathering brushes at the forward corners of the sald frame swinging? arms connecting the said brushes and mounted to swing with the said brushes on the said frame for their simultaneous upand down movement, a handle'fiired to the said frame for tilting it on the axis of the said driving wheels, and means for tilting the said arms and brushes upwardly by a downward movementof the handle after the said handle has been lowered to a given point. JAMES F. STEVENS. itnesses 7M. A. SAWYER, Jmms M. MoCoN-NELL. 

